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Published: 28 Jul 2010
Snow-capped peaks,
rocky inclines, rich forests and sloping
meadows provide recreation and economic
opportunities for humans and a home to many
plants and animals. The European Environment
Agency's new assessment of mountain ecosystems
sheds light on their state and the pressures
they face.
Mountain ecosystems
are essential for regulating our climate
and water cycles. Increasingly, however,
they are threatened by land abandonment,
intensification of agriculture, infrastructure
development, unsustainable exploitation
and climate change. Eighth in the series
of '10 messages for 2010', the EEA's new
assessment on mountain ecosystems indicates
that managing mountains sustainably relies
on effective policies and actions at regional
and local levels.
Mountain ecosystems
cover 36 % of the continent (29 % of the
European Union). Around 40 % of this area
is forested. Compared with lowlands, the
variation in altitudes, temperatures and
precipitation have resulted in a richer
variety of plant and animal species in mountains.
Key pressures and policies
Intensified agriculture and land abandonment:
in lower altitudes, non-intensive traditional
farming has created and maintains semi-natural
habitats, supporting a wide range of grassland
species. More than half of Europe's High
Nature Value farmland, typically associated
with low-intensity agriculture and grazing,
is found in mountain areas. Any change to
agricultural intensity threatens such habitats
and species. Land abandonment occurs across
the EU and threatens ecosystems such as
grasslands, which are highly dependent on
human management.
Climate change: average
temperatures increased by approximately
2 degrees in the Alps between the late 19th
century and early 21st centuries. This is
twice the average rate in the Northern hemisphere
and has caused a significant decrease in
glacier volume. Higher temperatures also
mean less snow and more rain in the winter,
resulting in more runoff in winter and less
in spring and summer. Where they are able
to move uphill or northwards, flora and
fauna can retain the bioclimatic conditions
to which they are adapted. For mountain
plant species, however, migration is obviously
more difficult and more than half could
face extinction by 2100.
Infrastructure development:
construction of highways and motorways increases
the fragmentation in mountain areas, isolating
and limiting the movement of many species.
In certain locations, the development of
skiing infrastructure can make soil more
vulnerable to water erosion.
Unsustainable exploitation:
Fuel wood harvesting and timber trade in
the Caucasus mountains irreversibly reduce
both biodiversity and the goods and services
on which local people depend. Hunting and
poaching of rare and endangered species
in the Carpathians have reduced populations,
threatening their long-term viability. Mass
tourism often favours the introduction of
invasive alien species.
Policy frameworks: international
and regional agreements and processes, including
the Convention on Biological Diversity and
the Alpine Convention, indicate that there
is adequate recognition at the European
level of the need for international cooperation.
It is important to consider which policies
have been successful at regional and local
levels.
